Reform UK risks breaching data protection laws with its competition to win free energy bills for a year, lawyers and data experts have warned.<\/p>\n
Nigel Farage announced the lottery on Tuesday as a way to advertise his latest policy to cut energy bills. The Reform leader encouraged British people to sign up via a website for a chance to have their energy bills paid for a year, as well as those of their entire street.<\/p>\n
To enter the competition, however, entrants have to disclose not only their name, email and telephone number, but also how they voted at the last election and how they intend to vote at the next one \u2013 something experts warned could be unlawful.<\/p>\n
Mariano delli Santi, legal and policy officer at Open Rights Group, a campaign for digital rights, said: \u201cReform are asking the public to hand over sensitive data about their voting habits without being transparent about how it will be used.\u201d<\/p>\n
Delli Santi said this appeared to be a clear breach of transparency obligations under UK data protection law.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cPolitical opinions are among the most sensitive types of personal data, and voters must be able to engage in campaigns without feeling pressured to trade their privacy for the chance of material benefit. The Information Commissioner\u2019s Office [ICO] must investigate and take a stand against political parties exploiting data in this way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleonor Duhs, a privacy barrister, said: \u201cYou have to be clear, open and honest about how and why you are collecting data and you shouldn\u2019t be collecting more data than you need. If you say your purpose is a raffle, why are they asking for people\u2019s voting intention? That seems to go beyond the purpose of the raffle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are different categories of personal data under UK GDPR \u2013 your political opinions are given more protection than other sorts of data. There is a question mark about on what basis are they processing this data. The basis of which you can process this more sensitive data is very restrictive. I agree with the Open Rights Group.\u201d<\/p>\n
A second lawyer, who did not want to be named, said: \u201cOne key principle is data minimisation which means data should only be collected that is necessary for the purposes \u2013 Reform should only be collecting what they need for the purposes of the prize draw.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe form does ask for a number of datasets beyond which might be treated as necessary, such as political parties they intend to vote for or have voted for.\u201d<\/p>\n
The party defended the contest. A spokesperson said: \u201cWe are entirely confident that this competition is legal. Reform UK is the only party serious about cutting energy bills.\u201d<\/p>\n
The party also said the raffle complied with electoral laws, which forbid bribing voters to vote a certain way at an election.<\/p>\n
Reform announced the lottery on Tuesday as the party promised to cut energy bills if it wins the next election by removing green levies and VAT from them.<\/p>\n